Snowshoe harness



J. D. CUMMING SNOWSHOE HARNESS Dec. 2, 1952 Filed July 12, 1951 6 i J ZH m W m .323. N r L 5 z "i" an 0 a M. J

Patented Dec. 2, I952 SNOWSHOE HARNESS James Deans Cumming, Havelock,Ontario, Canada Application July 12, 1951, Serial No. 236,338

In Canada December 20,, 1950 4 Claims.

This invention relates to snowshoe harness for securely attachingsnowshoes to any of the usual styles or types of foot covering worn bysnowshoes.

The common practice in devices of this kind is to use webbing such ascandle wicking or straps similar to skate straps or other combinationsof leather or fabric so. assembled as to hold the snowshoe to the footin a fixed position in relation to the large aperture in the snowshoe,and to allow the foot to bend or pivot over the back edge of the saidaperture to allow of easy walking. It is also necessary that the toes donot strike the wooden front edge of the said aperture.

In certain types of flexible footwear such as moccasins, mukluks orrubbersoled shoes, there is no substantially resistant body of materialas part of the toe of the footwear itself to interact with the ordinarytype snowshoe harness to prevent this forward movement. The stifi.tapered toe of a leather boot would serve this purpose but these are notsatisfactorily used under snowshoeing conditions. The object of suchconstruction is to keep the foot from advancing when using webbing orother strap harness and is attained by tightening the webbing or straptoeband across the top of the foot or toes.

This latter arrangement is the greatest fault of such types of snowshoeharness, in that if the transverse straps or webbing across the toes aretight enough to prevent the toes slipping forward the circulation of theblood to the toes is restricted and causes chafing and sore toes whichmay result in frost bitten feet.

A cup or box for the toes might be considered the obvious answer butsuch a cup or box is difiicult to adjust to widely varying shapes offootgear. Under certain weather conditions snow packs and freezes underthe foot and in and around this cup making it impractical. The

result is that it is necessary to design a snowshoe harness so that noportion of the harness is made to operate between the sole of the shoeand the snowshoe itself.

Quick and definite adjustment of snowshoe harness is also necessaryunder snow conditions changing from extreme frost to wet snow or slush,perhaps during the same day. Webbing or candlewick tends to stretch whenwet and being absorbent the knots freeze solidly during frosty weather.Where the same equipment is used by various persons with various typesof footwear the adjustment of webbing harness is slow and impractical.

For the experienced Woodsman or trapper wearing moccasins or similarfootwear in his daily work, the webbing type of harness was adequate invery cold weather, but for ordinary pleasure or military use wherestyles of footwear vary greatly, where the snowshoes are used by largenumbers of relatively inexperinced persons and where quick attachment tothe snowshoes and where. quick adjustment to the footwear is requiredunder all changing snow conditions, a different type of harness. isdesirable.

In rough, broken or wooded country where the.

trail twists and turns, the ability to swing or direct the snowshoecalled heel control, is very essential. Many types of harness whilearranged to allow of free pivoting of the foot in a vertical plane atthe same time sacrifice the ability to readily swing the relatively longtail of the snowshoe as desired and in doing so the foot may come out ofthe harness entirely.

In order not to pick up a snow load a snowshoe is pivoted and free toswing up or down on a transverse horizontal axis directly under the ballof the foot of the wearer, and the snowshoe is heavier toward the back;so that as the foot is lifted, the toe of the snowshoe rises and theheel trails on the snow. See Fig. 5.

It is thus highly essential that the snowshoe harness be designed toallow of free and unimpeded hinging or rotation about this fixedtransverse axis, which is located in the heavy strand of twisted hide atthe back of the large aperture 7 in the snowshoe webbing l l, ofinterlaced leather strands.

In the accompanying drawings in which each reference character denotesthe same part in all the views:

Fig. l is a plan view of the snowshoe harness showing details ofconstruction,

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the harness adjusted on a snowshoe,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the harness, and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the harness associatedwith a boot and adjusted on a snowshoe.

In Fig. 1, l is the top section of the snowshoe harness to which the twotoe straps 2 are at tached along the frontal perimeter at its relativecorners in angular relationv to the middle axis of the top section I andso positioned that the point of attachment of each strap 2 and therespective strap buckles 4a are not superimposed on one another. Theheel strap 3 is attached to the top section I at the rear by being sewnor riveted at one corner and making Contact through buckle 42: attachedto the rear top section I at the opposite corner. When adjusted 3 foruse the toe straps 2 with buckle holes "I are passed through the webbingII in the snowshoe I5, as shown in Fig. 3, then around the braided crossthong l3 and are adjustably fastened at the buckles 4a. The heel strap 3with buckle holes I is passed around the heel of the wearers shoe [6, asshown in Fig. 5, and is adjustably fastened at the buckle 4b.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the resultant position of the toe straps2 after being passed through the Webbing ll of the showshoe l5 andaround the braided cross thong l3, as shown in V Fig. 3, when fastenedat the buckles Ga, so as to give the tapered form 8 to the top section I(the webbing l i and braided cross thong being omitted for purposes ofillustration of the tapered form 8). The tapering effect to which thetop section I is subjected is shown by the relative positions of the toestraps 2 after being adjusted through buckles 4a. It is to be noted thatthe toe straps 2 when fastened by the buckles ila respectively are in aside by side or lit-par lit po sition.

For all practical purposes it has been that in actual use a relativelywide top band transversely across the top of the front part of the foot,when made double of leather or other material, preferably to containpadding t, provides a certain amount of insulation and prevents chafingof the toes or top of the feet by distributing the weight of theshoeshoe and any attached snow over a much wider area of the foot. SeeFig. 2.

By constructing this transverse top polygonal in shape as shown in Fig.1 with the front corners tapered diagonally toward the front and atapproximately 45 degrees to the front-to-back axis of the snowshoe andharness, so that when the toe straps are brought down over the top andsides of the wearers shoe they form a tapered enclosure, the shoe isprevented from going too far forward and striking the wood crossbar itin Fig. 3 at the front of the large aperture E2 in the snowshoe l5.

The toe straps 2 and buckles are so placed in relation to each other,that when the toe straps 2 pass down through the webbing H and return tothe buckle 3a it forms an additional wide support to and continuation ofthe tapered enclosure 8 and by means of the buckles "ia the taperedenclosure 8 is thereby made adjustable in size and tension.

The toe straps 2 pass through the eyes in the snowshoe webbing ll, passaround the braided cross thong l3 which coincides with the of pivotingaction iii and return to attachment to buckles 4a, thereby forming ahinge or pivei, allowing partial rotation of the wearers foot at theaxis Ii) coinciding approximately with the ball of the foot.

By making the heel strap 3 adjustable by means of buckle ll) andattaching it to the triangular webs 18 which have relatively wide basesattached to the top section i, when the heel is moved laterally as inturning the foot to change direction, this construction transmits themoion positively over its wide base of attachment to the top section iand to the two straps 2 and thereby also to the snowshoe l5. Thisconstruction has a very definite and beneficial action in giving heelcontrol and therefore directional control so necessary when snowshceingin thick bush and rough terrain.

What I claim is:

1. A snowshoe harness comprising a top section, two adjustable toestraps, one adjustable heel strap, said toe straps being adapted to bepassed around the braided cross thong of a snowshoe and so fastened tosaid top section by buckles that when drawn securely over the foot ofthe wearer of the snowshoe said top section forms a tapered enclosureabutting on the toe of the foot of the wearer, said toe straps and theirrespective buckles being so positioned that the inner and outer portionsof each toe strap when buckled lie side by side forming an extension ofthe tapered enclosure to prevent the shoe of the wearer from moving toofar forward to engage the wooden crossbar of the snowshoe but free tomove in pivotal action in a vertical plane within the frame of thesnowshoe.

2; A snowshoe harness comprising a top section, two adjustable toestraps, one adjustable heel strap, said heel strap being attached totriangular webs forming part of the top section by wide bases thattransmit lateral action of the heel of the foot into lateral action ofthe snow- I shoe to facilitate heel control and the turning of the snowshoe as required when walking.

3. A snowshoe harness comprising a top section, a pair of bucklesconnected to said top section, a pair of adjustable toe straps, anadjustable heel strap, said toe straps being adapted to be passed aroundthe braided cross thong of a snowshoe and so fastened to said topsection by said buckles so that when said toe straps are drawn securelyover the foot of the wearer of the snowshoe said top section formstapered enclosure abutting on the toe of the foot of the wearer toprevent the shoe of the wearer from moving too far forward to engage thewooden crossbar of the snowshoe but free to move within the largeaperture of the snowshoe and said toe straps and their respectivebuckles being so positioned on the top section that the inner and outerportions of each toe strap when buckled lie side by side forming anextension of the tapered enclosure.

4. A snowshoe harness comprising a top section having substantiallyparallel front and rear edges and having side edges disposed at anobtuse angle to the front edge, a heel strap secured to the rear edge ofsaid top section, toe straps extending across the side edges of said topsection outwardly therefrom and adapted to be passed around the braidedcross thong of a snowshoe, one end of each of the toe straps beingattachable to said top section, and fastening means for the other end ofeach of said toe straps attached to said top section, the locations ofattachment of each of said toe straps and of the corresponding fasteningmeans being spaced apart on the surface of said top section angularlywith respect to the position of the center of the corresponding toestrap whereby when said toe straps are drawn securely over the foot ofthe wearer of the snowshoe said top section forms a downwardly taperedenclosure abutting on the toe of the foot of the wearer.

J AlVIES DEANS CUMMIN G.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in t file ofthis patent: he

